Sermon Series: The Glory of the One and Only: A Series on the Gospel of John The Glorious Apogee – John 19:17-30 March 22nd , 2020 // Daniel Hickinbotham • Introduction: Self, Circumstances, Series • Because we derive MEANING from context it is important to remind ourselves where we are in the story • Every good story has four fundamental components, four elements that make it a comprehendable narrative and not just a description of disconnected random events. o Beginning/Exposition (Introduction of characters, of context, and the conflict) o Complication/Conflict (Conflict blossoms, main part of the rising action, we see the development of the characters for good or for evil) o Climax (Point at which the outcome of the conflict is decided, the point of highest emotion, the hinge point) o Resolution/Consumation (rising action peaked in the climax, and descends into some kind of landing) o EXAMPLE • These elements are used in communicating stories in more than just fiction. Biographies, histories, forensics, even accounting, etc. all represent reality using story, using some variation of these same four components. o We even use this same linear thinking to try and forecast or engineer future events. § But all of them are operating from some kind of story… • Important to look for where we are in this very historical and very theological story: Then they took Jesus away.[e] 17 Carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called Place of the Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him and two others with him, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate also had a sign made and put on the cross. It said: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that he said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate replied, “What I have written, I have written.” 23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier. They also took the tunic, which was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. 24 So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it, to see who gets it.” This happened that the Scripture might be fulfilled that says: They divided my clothes among themselves, and they cast lots for my clothing.[f] This is what the soldiers did. 25 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now finished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, he said, “I’m thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was sitting there; so they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it up to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. o What do we do with a passage like this? How do we make sense of this ugly reality, because this isn’t just some fiction novel we have been reading in book club… how do we find meaning here? • Over the last few weeks Pastor Ryan and Pastor Patrick have done a tremendous job of walking us through the moments leading up to this one. They have helped put us get in the shoes of the disciples to walk around and feel the confusion of the last supper… the crushing weight of Christ’s betrayal and abandonment… His humiliation and unjust treatment at the hands of the religious elites, and the brutality and evil committed against Him by Rome and the crowd. o If we are not careful to identify where we are in the story, we can end up drawing all the wrong conclusions about this moment, like the disciples did. § Disciples ran away in fear because they thought all of this... was the resolution of the story. • They likely thought that the climax of the story was when Jesus had vast crowds following Him, or when He came riding into Jerusalem to the shouts of Hosanna! Hosanna to the Son of David! o And now… seeing Jesus dead on a cross beneath a sign calling Him their King… they were thinking that this is how it ends for political revolutionaries… this how it ends for even peaceful insurrectionists… the Jews and Pilate believed this was the resolution as well… BUT • MAIN POINT OF THE PASSAGE: The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ Is the Climax of the Entire Story. • It is the climax of the story in three ways: The Crucifixion is the climax of Jesus’ earthly ministry. • The Gospel of John is laid out as a steady march to the cross. All of the rising action leads right here. • Jesus makes it plain in John 2, John 7, John 8, and John 12 that His hour had not come. o But as this dumpster fire of a miscarriage of justice gets ignited, He recognizes: “Father, the hour has come, glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you…” • WE MUST BE CAREFUL: The same way that the disciples THOUGHT Jesus earthly ministry was one thing (political liberation)… and we have the tendency to make Jesus’ ministry exclusively about what’s important to us. o Theology nerds say His primary ministry was teaching and revealing of proper theology and right belief. o The more mystical types say His ministry was focused on restoring our emotional intimacy with God and re-establishing our personal identity. o Those focused on social justice say His ministry was to love and serve the poor, marginalized, and politically oppressed. • But JESUS knows and defines what His ministry is, and in the Gospel of John, He defines it by this moment… o Right after the triumphal entry, what looked like a moment of climactic glory from all earthly perspectives, Jesus says he is going to be glorified by being delivered into the hands of sinful men to die. Then He says: 27 “Now my soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.”[g] Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”… 30 Jesus responded, “This voice came, not for me, but for you. 31 Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 As for me, if I am lifted up[h] from the earth I will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to indicate what kind of death he was about to die. § Did Jesus care for the poor and the needy? Yes. Did He engage with the injustice of political oppression? Yes. Did He teach about true theology and right belief? Absolutely… o But Jesus’ primary ministry was the cross…. making atonement for sinful humanity and drawing to salvation all those who will be saved… conquering of the world, death, and the devil. § It is His glorification… it is His highest earthly work… • Brothers and sisters, more than health or home or community or food or water or toilet paper, our greatest need, our neighbors’ greatest need, our world’s greatest need is for the due penalty of sin to be removed from our account, for our rebellion to be quelled and for a peace treaty to be enacted, to have our hearts of stone removed and to receive hearts of flesh with God’s instruction tattooed on them… We need to be returned to right standing with God... We need to be rescued o We as a staff preach and teach and lead worship here Sunday after Sunday knowing this your greatest need, and knowing we are helpless to meet that need… we are helpless to save you... § This is why our goal is to preach Christ, to prick your consciences about Christ, and to promote a response of faith to Christ. o Because Christ came meet this need, and the CROSS IS THE MOMENT THAT THIS RESCUE IS ASSURED. § The crucifixion is the climax of Jesus’ Earthly Ministry, exactly because: The Crucifixion is the climax of God’s plan of redemption from eternity past. • Jesus isn’t God’s lame attempt to try and woo some people back, and then things gets out of control and He gets crucified, and then God has to raise Him from the dead because of the injustice of it all. o WE have seen over the last 4 weeks, every time things seem out of Jesus’ control, He is actually fully in control of that moment. § Ironically, it is the people opposing Him who do not realize they are acting to fulfill God’s purposes… His purpose to redeem His fallen creation. • WE have seen throughout this whole series, the Gospel of John draws upon and links us to, not just the other 3 Gospels, but to the entire OT: o Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem through the Eastern Gate connects us to the return of the departed glory of God in Ezekiel and to the path in the wilderness in Isaiah 40.